Parallelization of a High-Order Accurate Unstructured Mesh Finite-Volume Solver

A generic solver eliminates the need to write new finite-volume codes for each type of physics. By sep-arating the physics from the numerics of the solver, a modular design is achieved. New physics modules can easily be written with a minimal knowledge of the finite-volume method. A parallel solver allows simulation of complex physics on intricate domains in a timely manner by using numerous processors si-multaneously. In this paper we describe the steps needed to adapt a high-order accurate unstructured mesh generic finite-volume solver to a parallel archi-tecture. A message-passing approach is used which allows the solver to operate on a distributed memory system, such as a cluster of workstations. The re-construction stencil is determined at the preprocess-ing stage and an appropriate parallel data structure for the solution is formed. Fluxes for faces on the par-tition boundary are evaluated by communicating the reconstruction coefficients to the adjacent processor. Good performance scalability is achieved for second and fourth-order accurate solutions on cell and vertex centered meshes.